Getting Back to The Gym After a Long Break - 5 Gym Hygiene Tips

Set new goals for working out

When you have to make a comeback into your fitness regime, the thought might seem boring or scary. Try setting new fitness goals to keep your motivation high while starting again. Trying a completely new workout routine might help, like yoga for flexibility, weightlifting for strength training, sports activities like boxing, tennis, dance or Zumba, and more. Building up new exercise habits will keep you motivated to start all over again after a long break.

Go fitness shopping

While you are out shopping for your essentials, why not include in your bag some fitness essentials too, like gym clothes or shoes? Having a complete new wardrobe of gym essentials makes exercising more fun. We all love to flaunt our fitness wear, right?? You can also update your workout playlist so that you will feel fresh and enthusiastic while coming back to your fitness schedule.

Don’t expect yourself to be at the same level after the break

When you take some time off from your regular exercising schedule, you lose some of your abilities. It sure doesn’t mean that you will never be able to overcome this backlog and reach the same level as before. It is entirely reasonable to start all over again with a lower weight. The good news is, you can regain the lean muscle mass lost during the break if you’re determined to workout regularly.

Include more warm-up and flexibility workouts

While you continue to work out, or starting all over again, your body would require proper warm-up and flexibility exercises. Dynamic stretching can provide your body with numerous benefits like injury prevention and quicker recovery after exercise. After you have taken a break from training, your body’s ability to stretch reduces, making your body more prone to injuries and muscle soreness.

Consult a trainer/instructor in the gym

You might need a little push to get back to the same track as before. Your efforts must be in the right direction, but taking a little extra help from a trainer or instructor at the gym will be a great hit. A trainer can create your workout schedule based on your goals and can also help you in creating your nutrition plan. Additionally, if you are recovering from an injury, a trainer may help you in your exercise schedule for your rehab.

Get your eating habits on track again

During the break, you must have been trying different delicacies and unhealthy treats to your stomach. All those lip-smacking and mouth-watering foods that you ate during your break must have affected your fitness when you start exercising again. So, if you want to feel more energetic and motivated for exercise, you need to consume abundant fresh veggies, fruits, lean protein, and whole grains.

Wipe down any equipment before and after using it

Many people come to the gym and use the gym equipment while transferring their sweat and germs on the surfaces. You would probably not want to get those germs that attack your skin or body. That’s why it is a good practice to spray sanitizer or disinfectant on the surfaces of equipment before and after use. We also urge the use of EPA-recommended wipes to kill the coronavirus or other germs on the surfaces.

Avoid any kind of group activities

With the risk of coronavirus it's difficult to maintain social distancing during any kind of group activity. Group activities, like dance classes or group yoga in a closed place, where the warm and moist air that arises due to multiple people sweating, could induce the transmission of viral particles quickly. A good option would be to take group classes in open space such as parks, which would reduce the risks of the spread of the virus.

Social distancing is still essential

As per the directions given by the government about social distancing, it is crucial to keep at least a 6 feet distance from each other during any team/group workout. Wearing a mask might be helpful but won’t eliminate the risk since, during exercises, the mask becomes damp so it might not be that effective. So you shall take social distancing seriously, till the gym management introduces some more features of safety.

Arrive and leave the gym on your allotted time

Avoid running through the gym door at the last minute and make sure you arrive at your gym on your allotted time. If you see a queue in the gym, it’s better that you wait outside until the group of people disperses. This will ensure that even if you’re late or early, you don’t run into people who have come to the gym on their allotted time.

Carry your water bottle and other supplies

Taking your supplies for water, energy drinks, or towels would be a safer option. It would be better to not use the lockers or the changing rooms in the gyms to avoid any close contact with the surfaces. Also, carrying your yoga mat for stretching would be a better option in this time of coronavirus spread.

It entirely depends upon you to decide whether to go to the gym or not and take precautions because it will be you who will experience the risks or benefits. You cannot control how people outside your space respond to the situation, but you can control being steadfast & relentless in protocols on distancing, spacing, and hygiene.

Have you been taking the safety measures to protect yourself from getting affected by coronavirus? Learn what you can do to stay safe during your workout, by reading our blog.